Lighting is needed in many applications including both consumer/residential and commercial markets. Fluorescent tube lighting is a significant source of lighting in many applications, particularly in commercial markets, for a number of reasons such as higher efficiency and longer life than incandescent bulbs. However, newer solid semiconductor lighting such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been developed having advantages over fluorescent tube lighting. Conversion from fluorescent tube lighting to newer technologies can be prohibitively costly due to characteristics that are fundamentally associated with fluorescent lighting. In general, fluorescent lights and lamps cannot run directly off the alternating current (AC) mains. To make fluorescent lighting practical and relatively easy to use, a ballast 10 is required to be placed between the AC mains 12 and the fluorescent lamp or tube 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1 to control and regulate the voltage, current and power applied to the fluorescent lamp 14. As a result, large fluorescent light fixtures including heavy ballasts 10, reflectors 16, and specific fluorescent tube connectors 20 are mounted in offices and homes around the world. Conversion from fluorescent tube lighting generally requires that the fluorescent lighting fixture or at least the ballast 10 be removed so that replacement lighting technology not requiring a ballast may be installed.